Powerful Democratic Firm Helping Potential Defense Nominee

Foreign Policyreports that the Podesta Group "is channeling as much as $35,000" to sponsor Mike Allen’s Playbook as it lobbies for the nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. The Bipartisan Group, an association advocating Hagel’s nomination, hired the Podesta Group.

John Podesta cofounded the Podesta Group with his brother before leaving to found CAP.

Tony Podesta, the current president of the Podesta Group, has a history of representing often anti-democratic foreign powers, including Egypt from 2007 to 2012. Podesta’s Egypt contract was worth at least $90,000 per month. The contract, which began under the deposed Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, brought in more than $6 million over its duration.